Letters to the Editor

Readers write about population control and Obama's foreign policy.

February 17, 2010

People are resilient

Regarding David Francis's Jan. 10 commentary "Here comes the next bubble: people": It's wishful thinking to suggest that if "the world will have fewer babies and less overcrowding" then issues such as "global warming, food shortages, limited water supply, and increasing competition for resources" will be solved.

China has embarked on an aggressive population control program and yet the issues that Mr. Francis has raised, which he proposes will be solved by reducing the number of babies born, are still prevalent in that country.

The problem is that he is trying to solve these issues from an economic worldview perspective. Money must never trump human rights.

In spite of our rapid population growth, we in the US, by and large, have not starved ourselves to death.

Humans are incredibly industrious and resourceful.

We must trust that as long as we believe that humans should be free to choose whether we have 1, 2.1, or 5 children and that humans (including babies) have value and intrinsic worth, we will be able to provide the resources to protect, feed, and educate our fellow human beings.

While holding up the vision of "a world without nuclear weapons," President Obama has also made it clear that this is a long-term goal that can best be reached through a series of practical steps that preserve the security of the US and its allies even as they set the stage for a safer world.